It's Summer. Take a jacket to the lovefest.

From Rich DelVecchio's "Living in the Bay Area: A test of economics and priorities"

My wife and I moved here almost 20 years ago from back East. For years we were ambivalent, halting between the coasts, between snow and sun, till having three kids forced us to go for broke. But which way to break?

One of my oldest newspaper colleagues told me back in about '85 that I'd be seduced by the weather. I wouldn't, couldn't, go back.

Preposterous, I said. Further, I loved the snow -- the silences, the romantic blizzards, the guiltless hibernation.

The ever-smiling sun didn't look friendly to me. I took it as a taunt to get out and do something social or visibly creative every 15 minutes. It wore me out, and I don't think I'm the only one.

Still, the sun worked its spell as my colleague said it would.

Is it the sun?

Dude, today is the summer solstice, and it was COLD and foggy today.

In fact, as a performing duo in the park wryly commented to an audience shivering frm the chill wind whistling through the park:

"Summer solstice in Berkeley, eh?"

The sun did come out and burned off the fog and cloud cover an hour later, warming everyone into an easygoing place.

Still...

After staring into an empty refrigerator the other day and muttering about the latest budgetary insanity, my wife says with no irony at all: "I love California." I have to admit I'll go along with that.

Im not quite there yet, as Im still *filled* with irony, but I might be getting there.

For the record, its the blue skies.